Monday, March 9, 2015

Stratigraphy, Notes

Continuing my series "Ode to My Refrigerator" I am amazed by the colors; it must be the quality of the light at this time of year, the angle of the sun and the reflections from the snow that fill the kitchen with light. And I am longing for the earth, to feel my feet in the ground, to feel softness underneath rather than the frozen white.


deep down, 2015


at the bottom of the sky, 2015


piercing light, 2015


Notes:
Stratigraphy is a branch of geology which studies rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy includes two related subfields: lithologic stratigraphy or lithostratigraphy, and biologic stratigraphy or biostratigraphy.

Lithostratigraphy is a sub-discipline of stratigraphy, the geological science associated with the study of strata or rock layers. Major focuses include geochronology, comparative geology, and petrology. In general a stratum will be primarily igneous or sedimentary relating to how the rock was formed.

Biostratigraphy is the branch of stratigraphy which focuses on correlating and assigning relative ages of rock strata by using the fossil assemblages contained within them. Usually the aim is correlation, demonstrating that a particular horizon in one geological section represents the same period of time as another horizon at some other section.

Historical development

Nicholas Steno established the theoretical basis for stratigraphy when he introduced the law of superposition, the principle of original horizontality and the principle of lateral continuity in a 1669 work on the fossilization of organic remains in layers of sediment.
The first practical large-scale application of stratigraphy was by William Smith in the 1790s and early 19th century. Smith, known as the "Father of English geology",[1] created the first geologic map of England and first recognized the significance of strata or rock layering and the importance of fossil markers for correlating strata. Another influential application of stratigraphy in the early 19th century was a study by Georges Cuvier and Alexandre Brongniart of the geology of the region around Paris.

From Wikipedia

Words and phrases to use: original horizontality, principle of lateral continuity, layering = stratification

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